Labor unrest in the U.S. waste-collection industry widened on 9 July as Republic Services drivers and loaders staged or prepared strikes from Massachusetts to Washington state, while a separate municipal walkout in Philadelphia drew to a close. In Massachusetts, about 450 Republic Services employees represented by Teamsters Local 25 have been off the job since 1 July, demanding higher pay, stronger benefits and additional labor protections. The stoppage, now in its ninth day, is affecting garbage and recycling pickup in more than a dozen Greater Boston communities and an estimated 400,000 residents. U.S. Representative Seth Moulton and several Boston city councilors have joined picket lines, urging the company to improve its offer. Republic says it already provides competitive wages and is continuing talks with the union. Solidarity actions have begun on the West Coast. Republic crews in parts of California’s Bay Area walked off work this week, delaying collections in cities such as San Jose, Daly City and Fremont. The company has told municipalities it expects the disruption to be temporary and plans to add Saturday routes to clear accumulated waste. In Washington state, members of Teamsters Local 252 halted operations at Thurston County’s Waste and Recovery Center on 9 July, saying the company’s latest proposals fall short on pay, healthcare and job security. The union warns it could extend picket lines to roughly 3,500 Republic workers nationwide if talks stall. Separately, Philadelphia’s largest municipal strike in decades—led by AFSCME District Council 33 and centered on sanitation, water and 911 services—ended early 9 July after eight days of negotiations with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration. The tentative agreement, details of which have not yet been released, addresses wages, healthcare contributions and work-rule changes for the roughly 9,000 employees.